Turbine type hot air engine



' Oct. 23, 1956 J. J. MARTIN TURBINE TYPE HOT AIR ENGINE Filed Dec. 13,1952 IN V EN TOR. J-OSEPH J. M4)??? 2,767,549 IC Patented Oct. 23, 19562,767,549 'ruannsa TYPE nor AIR ENGINE Joseph .1. Martin, Greensburg,Ind. Application December 13, 1952, Serial No. 325,788 1 Claim. (Cl.60-59) The present invention relates to an engine and specifically to amechanism deriving its motive power from the expansion of atmosphericair reacting against a turbine-like element.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism which canelfectively convert waste heat into usable mechanical power.

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine which, afterbeing set in motion by a prime mover, will thereafter remain in motion,deriving its power solely from the application of heat, from an externalsource, to the interior of the engine.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, our inventionmay be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings,attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings areillustrative only, and that change may be made in the specificconstruction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of theappended claim is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic sectional view through the axis ofour engine;

Fig. 2 is a transaxial sectional view through the clutch of Fig. 1,taken substantially on line 22 thereof, and showing certain details ofour invention; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are further transaxial sectional views taken substantiallyon lines 33 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, we have shown an enginecomprising an elongated hood having one or more inlet ports 11 in an endwall 12 thereof, and one or more outlet ports 13 in an end wall 14thereof. Preferably, we provide means for varying the effective area ofports 11 from a fully closed position to a fully open position. In oneembodiment, this means can take the form of a rotating disc having aseries of ports 16 therein corresponding in number and spacing to theports 11, said disc being suitably mounted for rotation on end wall 12.

Suitably supported within hood 10, as, for instance, by means of spiderelements 17 and 18, is a cylindrical tube 19, open at both ends andregistering at one end with outlet ports 13 so that egress from theinterior of hood 10 through ports 13 must necessarily be by way of tube19.

A shaft 20 is coaxially journalled in tube 19 in suitablespider-supports 21 and 22 and supports a hub 23 therein, fixed to shaft20 for rotation therewith. Hub 23 carrier a series of radiallyprojecting fins 24 thereon extending from the periphery of said hub andterminating just short of the internal periphery of tube 19.

Fins 24 are arranged upon hub 23 in axially spaced sets 24a, 24b, 24c,24d and 24s. The fins of each set are equi-angularly spaced about hub23, and the fins of the entire series are each disposed at a commonacute angle relative to a plane normal to the axis of shaft 20. The finsof each set are further angularly oifset from the fins of the adjacentsets, as is most clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Preferably, we provide one or more further sets of fins 25, each setbeing fixed to the inner periphery of tube 19 and projecting radiallyinwardly toward the axis of shaft 20, between adjacent sets of fins 24.The fins of the sets 25 are equi-angularly spaced about shaft 20 andterminate just short of the periphery of hub 23. Each fin of set 25further lies substantially in a plane including the axis of shaft 20 andsaid fin.

In the illustrated embodiment of our invention, there are five fins toeach set 24 and six fins to each set 25. Air flowing past fins 24,strikes the angularly disposed surface of each fin thereby imparting arotary motion to shaft 20. Fins 25 tend to keep the air, passing throughtube 19, flowing in a line parallel to the axis of shaft 20. If desired,a set of fins 25 could be placed between each set of fins 24 and, insome embodiments, that practice has been found more effective. However,in our illustrated embodiment, we have found two sets, placed as shownin Fig. 1, to be quite satisfactory.

Preferably, but not necessarily, joint 26, intermediate the ends of hoodend wall 12 and the adjacent Fixed to shaft 20, closely adjacent theinlet ports 11, is a fan-type impeller 27 which, upon rotating shaft 20,draws air through ports 11 into the interior of hood 10. While we haveshown impeller 27 as being in the interior of hood 10, whether theimpeller is mounted in its illustrated position or in a position on theexterior of hood 10, is immaterial for our purpose, so long as theimpeller is so placed as to force air through ports 11 into hood 10.

On the end of shaft 20, adjacent end wall 12, we mount one element 28 ofan overrunning or one-way clutch 29. The other element of clutch 29 isfixed to a shaft 30 of an electric motor 31. Obviously, any type ofprime mover could be used for driving shaft 20, but we have found themotor 31 most convenient for our purpose.

Within the hood 10, between end wall 12 and the adjacent end of tube 19,we mount elements 32-32. These elements may take any suitable form as,for instance, electric heater coils, steam or hot water coils, or simplyhot air radiators. The only requirement is that the heaters be of suchtype and location that the air drawn through ports 11, by impeller 27,be passed over the heater elements and receive a decided increase intemperature.

we provide a universal shaft 20, between the end of tube 19.

Operation In operation, the heater elements 32 are activated, to

raise their temperature to the required point, at which time motor 31 isenergized. Air is drawn through inlet ports 11, by impeller 27, andpassed over heater elements 32 Where its temperature is raised, causingthe air to expand. Such expansion accelerates the flow of air toward thetube 19. As the accelerated air passes through tube 19, it strikes thefins 24 imparting an additional rotary velocity to shaft 20. The spentair then exhausts through outlet ports 13.

As the velocity of air through tube 19 increases, shaft 20 will turnfaster than the motor 31, this being possible because of the provisionof the one-way clutch 29.

On the end of shaft 20 remote from motor 34 We provide, in thisinstance, a belt pulley 33, whereby power may be taken from shaft 20.

Should the power demand on the engine not exceed that obtainable fromthe heat elements 32 alone, motor 31 may be deenergized after the enginehas been started and the engine will continue to run under the impetusof the air acting on the fins of hub 23. However, should the powerdemand be greater than obtainable from the heater elements alone, motor31 may be left running to supplement the power from heater elements 32.

To prevent heat loss from the hood 10, we provide suitable insulationabout the hood. Such. an expediency has not been illustrated in thedrawings, however, since we feel that such an expedient is obvious andits illustration would unnecessarily complicate the disclosure.

It will be apparent that, as the impeller 27 rotates, a stream of airfrom outside the hood 10 isdrawn into the inlet end of the hood, andthere comes into contact with air previously heated by the units 32. Thestream of relatively cold air thus contacts the mass of relatively hotair and, through the action of the impeller 27 and the action of thefins 24, the two masses of air are agitated as they move togetherthrough the tube 19.

It is our present belief that these conditions set up, within themechanism disclosed, a miniature and controlled cyclone, just asanalogous conditions, when they arise in the atmosphere, createuncontrolled and destructive cyclones in the atmosphere. The tremendouspower of natural cyclones is recognized; and we believe that comparablepower is created within the apparatus of the present application to dothe above-described work.

I claim as my invention:

In a turbine engine comprising an elongated closed hood having inletports at one end and outlet ports adjacent the central portion of theother end, means to control the effective area of the inlet ports, saidcontrol means including a rotatable disk mounted exteriorly of said hoodand having a handle by means of which such disk may be adjusted, saiddisk having apertures for registry with the inlet ports and havingportions for closing the inlet ports, an elongated shaft rotatablymounted in said hood and having portions extending outwardly from eachend thereof, a motor adjacent the inlet end of said hood and connectedto the adjacent portion of the projecting shaft by a one-way clutch forstarting said engine, a cylindrical tube within said hood spaced fromthe inlet end of said hood and fixedly connected to the other end wallwith said cylindrical tube being of a size to extend around all of theoutlet openings, means to support said cylindrical tube concentricallywith respect to said shaft in fixed position and in spaced relation tothe periphery of said hood, the end of said cylindrical tube adjacentthe inlet end of the hood being spaced a substantial distance from theinlet end of the hood and providing free communication between the spacesurrounding said cylindrical tube and the elongated hood, heating meansin the portion of said hood between said inlet openings and saidcylindrical tube for heating gases passing through said inlet openings,a pump adjacent said inlet openings for moving gases through said inletopenings into contact with said heating means while compressing saidgases in said hood and moving the heated gases into the cylindricaltube, and cooperating turbine means on the inner periphery of saidcylindrical tube and on the portion of the shaft within said cylindricaltube for producing power by the action of the heated gas passing throughthe cylindrical tube and means on the end of the shaft exteriorly of thehood transmitting power to a machine.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS GreatBritain Feb. 20, 1952

